


equal ground

by evilythedwarf



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 21:51:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7657981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilythedwarf/pseuds/evilythedwarf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mal made her feel stronger, powerful, like she could stand up to someone and win.</p>
            </blockquote>





	equal ground

**Author's Note:**

> From the tumblr prompt: "dragon queen 74. Are You Challenging Me?"

Things were never easy between them, not even in the beginning when Regina was still innocent enough to believe there would be a way out of her life that didn’t involve taking it for herself by simply ending it. Maleficent was always there though, always welcoming and understanding and indulging her need to not say a word. 

Regina was an excellent student, and Mal’s teaching methods were not based on pain and punishment and it was easy to learn from her, it was awe inspiring to see her build something out of thin air and share the bubbling of excitement in her chest with her, and not be afraid.

Fear had been an intrinsic part of her life ever since she could remember and its absence was freeing, it made her feel stronger, powerful, like she could stand up to someone and win for the first time, and letting go of Mal, leaving her behind was losing the best part of herself and she took care to stay away, to stay as far away as was possible, until she had no other choice.

“Are you challenging me?” she asked, and Regina had said yes, because she could, because Maleficent had helped her build herself up, and she could look the other woman in the eye and know they were on equal ground.


End file.
